Calculating machine



A. w. cRowELL Erm. 2,271,328

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 27, 1942.

ATTORNEY.

m. N W.

Patented Jan. 27, 1942 CALCULATING MACHINE Alan W. Crowell, Longmeadow, Francis L. Merritt,

West Springfield, and Kenneth H. Pond, Longmeadow, Mass., assignors to Monarch Life Insurance Company, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 2, 1940, Serial No. 317,036

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in a calculating machine and it is directed more particularly to the provision of a calculating machine which embodies the idea of independently and relatively movable indicia-carrying members which present their indicia before a plurality of windows or openings which are disposed in the top of a casing.

It is a further object of our invention to provide closures for the Windows or openings, whereby only selected indicia may be presented at various times in only certain selectedropenings, depending, of course, upon the desires of the operator and more particularly upon the answer which the device of the invention is intended to convey.

Calculating machines, heretofore known, all have the common objection that in order to operate them, large and cumbersome means are required in order to disclose what are relatively simple sets of informative figures and facts. This objection adds greatly to the cost of manufacturing the devices and accordingly, we have devised novel means whereby such a diiiiculty and objection is overcome. We accomplish this by the provision of a device which obviates the need for the large and cumbersome means heretofore referred to.

With the above primary objects in view, among the other objects of our invention are: first, to provide a simplified construction of a calculating device; second, to secure a higher degree of accuracy in the character of the work performed therewith than has heretofore been possible; third, to attain a higher degree of speed in the construction of the device due to its unique and simplified construction; fourth, to attain a iiexibility or a capability of adjustment by which a larger variety of work can be produced on the same machine; fifth, to attain a greater ease in the adjustment and repair of the machine; and sixth, to provide an improved calculating device which may be made more economically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of its parts, as well as in the assembly thereof, than prior devices heretofore known in the art.

Various other novel features and advantages of our invention will be hereinafter more fully referred to in connection with the accompanying description of the same, in the present preferred form thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the calculating machine embodying the novel features of our invention with certain parts broken away for clearness;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a closure member as used in the device of our invention;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a lowerplate member as used in the device of our invention; and

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional View on the line E-B in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the different drawings more in detail, wherein like numerals refer to like parts and referring more particularly to the preferred form of our invention selected for illustrative purposes, I have shown a receptacle which has a bottom wall II, side walls I2, end walls I4, and a top cover member I6, all of which parts are in direct association with each other.

The top plate or cover member I6 may be secured to the receptacle in any suitable manner although preferably it rests upon the tops of the side and end wall members I2 and I4 respectively and is secured to the receptacle by screws 20 or the like which are adapted to screw into the corner posts 22 which are mounted upon the bottom wall II and are positioned within the container and may be secured to the side and end walls I2 and I4 respectively.

Beneath the upper plate member I6 and parallel thereto, there is disposed a lower plate member 40 which is adapted to t inside of the side and end walls I2 and I4, whereby it is supported by means of the corner posts 22 and is secured thereto by screws 2li which extend through the openings 4I of the lower plate member.

The lower plate member is thus held in a position upon the tops of the corner posts 22, and it is disposed below the upper plate member I6 in spaced relation therefrom by means of spacers 42, which are disposed between the upper and lower plate member.

Thus, it will be seen that the upper and lower plate members I6 and 40 are held in spaced relation as to each other by means of the spacers 42, and all of the component elements, the upper and the lower plate members and the spacers therebetween are held in securement to the receptacle by virtue of the screws 20 which bind them thereto to each other and to the posts and the walls of the receptacle.

Openings I 8 are provided in the upper plate member I6 and openings 44 are provided in the lower plate member 40 so as to provide visibility and access to the contents thereunder which is hereinafter to be more fully described.

Within the receptacle, there are provided a plurality of independently rotatable indicia carrying memberslsuch as rotatable rolls 24, as shown in Fig. l.

Extending along and spaced from the side walls by such means as spacers 29, there are provided side plates 28, in which the shafts 26 of the rolls 24 are mounted at opposite ends as shown in Fig. 1.

Each of the rolls 24 has a shaft 26 which is journalled at one end in one of the side plates 28 and the opposite end of the shaft is receivable in the opposite side plate 28. This mounting may be by means of sliding the shafts to the left to permit their right hand ends to enter the right hand plates 28 which are provided with suitable apertures. This feature is adapted to facilitate the interchanging of rolls, all as may be desired.

Springs 32, on the shafts 26 of the rolls, act on the rolls to urge them longitudinally. This helps to maintain the rolls in their proper operating position and furthermore, the springs offer resistance to rotation of the rolls so that they may be rotated to certain positions and more or less held against accidental displacement therefrom.

A manually engageable member such as a peripherally knurled disc 30 is associated with each of the rolls 24, and the uppermost portions of the perpheries thereof are presented for manual engagement through suitable slots Il and Il provided in the top plate member i6 and the lower plate member 40 respectively.

Each knurled member 30 has a hub part 35' which is inserted in the tubular member E5 at one end thereof so as to provide the rolls 25,. At the opposite end of the tubular member 25, another hub 3| is provided and the tubular member 25 is inserted therein.

Each tubular member 25 carries longitudinally spaced sets of indicia which are circumferentially disposed thereon. The tubular members may consist of any' desired material, although a Cellul loid tubular member is the present preferred form.

This indicia thereon is visible through openings I8 in the top cover member l5 and the openings 44 disposed thereunder.

The apparatus is designed for insurance purposes and the indicia carried by the rolls is intended to represent monthly premium payments, dividend amounts, etc., etc., all of which may be arranged in certain predetermined relations. When the apparatus is used for other purposes, other indicia bearing cylinders may be substituted therefor.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the apparatus to adapt it for various purposes without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, although in the present form it is adapted for the purpose of visibly displaying certain data, computations, and results in connection with life insurance and the like.

The lower plate member 40 is provided with a series of parallel guideways or grooves 46 which run throughout its length substantially as shown in Fig. 5 so that when sliding panels E56, about to be described, are disposed between the plate members and are adjusted in relation thereto so as to reveal portions of the contents thereunder, the sliding panels may be moved and guided forwardly and rearwardly along the grooves 46.

A plurality of sliding panels or closure members 5U, one of which is shown in Fig. 4, are provided with a hand gripping upraised portions 52 in the center thereof. The upraised portions 52 lie within the openings I8 in the top plate member I6 and extend upwardly therethrough. The panel members 5D likewise contain openings 54 through which it is possible to see the indicia on the rolls thereunder. End portions 56 at either end of the panel member 5l) are turned downwardly and are adapted to nt into the grooves 46 in the lower plate member 4B whereby the panel members are guided thereby as the panel members move between open and closed positions between the upper and lower plate members. The closure member is in open position when the opening 54 therein is in a position directly beneath the opening in the top cover member. It is in closed position when the opening 54 is in a position beneath a portion of the top cover member itself.

Spring-like parts 58 for each panel member 50 are disposed at each end of the sliding panel member and consist of upraised portions which are cut away from the panel member itself and are slightly upraised therefrom. Being springlike in structure, the parts 58 yieldably engage the underside of the top plate member and frictionally hold the panels in open or closed position. The upraised parts 52 of the panel members serve t0 limit movements of the panels relative to openings I8.

Thus the rolls may be independently rotated to present any of the indicia carried thereby to the Windows or openings and the panel members may be independently moved back and forth to conceal or to cover up as Well as to expose the indicia carried by the rolls.

While we have described the invention in great detail and with respect to th'e present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes' which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination in a calculating apparatus which includes an open upper-sided receptacle and a horizontally-extending indicia-carrying roll journalled for rotation therein of, a horizontally-disposed plate member overlying said open upper side of the receptacle and having an opening therein, said plate member and roll being so arranged that said opening overlies the upper peripheral portion of the roll, a substantially fiat cover member spaced above said plate member in substantial parallelism therewith and provided with an opening therein which coincides with said opening in the plate member, and a closure part slidably disposed between said plate and cover members for movements independently of said members between a position underlying said opening in the cover member and a position away therefrom, one of said members being provided with means for guiding said closure part in its slidable movements.

2. The combination in a calculating apparatus which includes an open upper-sided receptacle and a horizontally-extending indicia-carrying roll journalled for rotation therein of, a horizontally-disposed plate member overlying said open upper side of the receptacle and having an opening therein, said plate member and roll being so arranged that said opening overlies the upper peripheral portion of the roll, a substantially fiat cover member spaced above said plate member in substantial parallelism therewith and provided with an opening therein which coincides with said opening in the plate member, said plate member being provided with spaced and parallel grooves in its upper surface, and a closure part slidably disposed between said plate and cover members for movement independently of said members between a position underlying said opening in the cover member and a position away therefrom, said closure part being provided with downwardly extending portions which are disposed in said grooves for guiding said closure part in its slidable movements.

3. The combination in a calculating apparatus which includes an open upper-sided receptacle and a horizontally-extending indicia-carrying roll journalled for rotation therein of, a horizontally-disposed plate member overlying said open upper side of the receptacle and having an opening therein, said plate member and roll being so arranged that said opening overlies the upper peripheral portion of the roll, a substantially flat cover member spaced above said plate member in substantial parallelism therewith and provided vided with means for guiding said closure part in its slidable movements, said closure part being formed of a unitary piece of sheet material bent to have an intermediate up'raised portion which extends upwardly above the plane of said cover member through the opening therein and engages opposite sides of that opening accordingly as the closure part moves between its said positions, al] adapted and arranged whereby said closure part may be manually engaged from above the cover member and the sliding movements of the closure part are limited.

4. The combination in a calculating apparatus which includes an open upper-sided receptacle and a horizontally-extending indicia-carrying roll journalled for rotation therein of, a horizontally-disposed plate member overlying said open upper side of the receptacle and having an opening therein, said plate member and roll being so arranged that said opening overlies the upper peripheral portion of the roll, a substantially flat cover member spaced above said plate member in substantial parallelism therewith and provided with an opening therein which coincides with said opening in the plate member, said plate member having its upper surface provided with a pair of spaced grooves which extend outwardly in opposite directions from opposite sides of said opening, the grooves of each pair being substantially parallel with one another and aligned with the grooves of the other pair, and a closure part slidably disposed between said plate and cover members for movement independently of said members between a position underlying said opening in the cover member and a position away therefrom, said closure part being provided with a pair of spaced downwardly extending portions at opposite ends thereof which are disposed in said grooves for guiding said closure part in its slidable movements.

ALAN W. CROWELL. FRANCIS L. MERRITT. KENNETH H. POND. 

